Empathy
by BatWingteenavenger
Summary: "Are you sure you don't have psychic powers, Grayson?" Dick Grayson has many great qualities. His younger brother draws on his most powerful ones in his time of need. T because of Jay's mouth, and maybe violence in flashbacks.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Yes yes I know I just put up a new story. But hey, this idea hasn't left since I read Black Friar's 'Hood stories Volatile and Scars. Anyone who notices, I usually like to do before-pit Jason, because of my initial hatred of what he turned into as Red Hood. BUT looking at it from a new angle thanks to the urging of the awesome, schway cocopops1995, I decided, like Damian, to give Hoodie another shot XD.**

**No one needs to tell you that i hate continuity right now, so blech. Nightwing is in Bludhaven so there! XD On with the fic!  
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"_Little birdyyyy"_

Nightwing started. He had not heard or seen the Clown in a very long time. Heck, he wasn't even stationed in Gotham anymore!

"_What hurts more, number one or number two?"_

He sat up, instantly aware of his surroundings. He was in his apartment in Bludhaven, and from the sunlight streaming through the window, he gathered that it was midmorning. A wave of pain coursed through his body, as if someone had struck his ribs with a blunt, metal object. He winced, puzzled. On patrol last night a mugger had gotten a lucky shot in, and had knifed him in the leg. As far as he knew, that was the only injury he had suffered.

Sitting up, Dick Grayson began to puzzle over the strange happenings. The odd visions that haunted his early waking moments for the past four days disturbed him. One instance, he actually thought the Clown Prince was on top of him, laughing gleefully as his body convulsed as blow after blow was landed on his already-broken body. The fits came and went as they pleased, always leaving him confused or shaken.

Dick was many things but he was not an idiot. The visions, he knew, didn't really belong to him. In fact the eerie voice he had heard earlier confirmed his hypothesis, as the Joker had only uttered those words as a taunt, a sick joke, on his broken, bleeding victim A victim that, had Dick had been willing to stay Robin, would never have even been there to begin with, and could not have possibly suffered such a cruel, unfair fate.

While he was sure about the owner of these images and visions, he was not sure about why he was experiencing them. As the Former Boy Wonder stretched and got ready for another Saturday in Gotham with friend and family alike, he was startled by an urgent knock on his door.

Cautious as always, his nerves and muscles tensed to ready himself for an attack, he slowly opened his door.

And gasped as a hooded figure fell into his arms, clutching him as if he were the last person on the planet, tearing his hood off to reveal a domino mask and an exhausted, pale face beneath.

"Help me..."


	2. Chapter 2

_Jason!_

Dick caught his little brother, guiding him inside and shutting his door. He tried to set him down comfortably on the bed, but the most he could do was sit on the couch. The resurrected Robin would not release the hold he had on his predecessor, and sat down when Dick did.

"Easy there little brother." Dick soothed, "Rest a bit. Did you hotfoot it all the way here? That's pretty dang far, even for Red Hood."

"Would you give me a damn minute Grayson?" Came the growling whine. "Just...just stay here for a sec ok?"

Dick chuckled. Jason hated feeling vulnerable. He hated _showing _ he was vulnerable even more. Yet here he was, shaking like a leaf, the tearmarks giving his earlier sobbing away. Whatever had shaken the tough exterior of the Red Hood, it was something big, meaningful, and personal.

"Alright, I'll bite." He said, becoming silent.

Jason sat up after ten minutes, sweating but for the moment, stable.

"It happened after I fought with the replacement four days ago." He started, "He was idiotic enough to chase his quarry straight into my territory, then _through_ and _around_ my turf. I followed him of course, to tell him to get the hell off my little section of Gotham before I busted his head with a cap. Come to find out it wasn't him that was doing the chasing for very long, and that his crafty little mind was leading his pursuer through my territory _on purpose_."

Dick held up a hand

"Tim knows better than to invade your turf deliberately. We all respect your corner of Gotham, you should know that, Jason. Who was chasing Tim?"

"My least favorite person in the universe." Came the growl of hatred.

That growl was all Dick needed to hear. He clenched his fists, his mouth in a straight, tight line.

"Tim led...the _Joker_...into your territory."

"No shit Sherlock!"

"Why?"

"The Replacement wanted to rub it in my face that he could handle the freak! That's the only reason he would!"

Dick shook his head "I doubt that. As much as he'll hate that I'm speaking for him, Tim chased and later led the Clown through your territory because he was scared. He knew your territory was the only place a Robin would be safe from the same fate you suffered, because you would never let it happen again."

Jason snorted.

"Whatever the reason, it was damn stupid of him to do. He had no business bringing that fucking bastard into _my _territory, then leading him on a merry chase under my nose!"

"So what happened?" Dick prodded, the main reason for the conversation still having yet to be brought to light.

"I watched him and the Clown go a few laps around my turf, and cursed the Replacement on his choice for a place to romp. Finally, he began to tire. The Clown was too insane, too driven, to know what fatigue was, and caught up within a few minutes. I loaded my weapon, a grin on my lips. I do not like the Replacement, but I was not going to sit back while another Robin was played with by that damn bastard! I loaded my other gun, but before I could finish the sound of metal on flesh rang through my entire being."

Jason paused and clenched his fists,

"I had been the cause of that sound once, but that was to make a point. To hurt _him. _The Joker had _no fucking right_ to make that sound ever again! Yet the sound continued. Over and over...like a nightmare. I knew what was happening, but my damn body refused to move! I froze up!" he lashed out, "The damn fucking _bastard_ was beating another Robin to death and all I could do was freeze up and have a damn flashback!"

Dick grit his teeth, but his curiosity peaked at that last sentence

"You had flashbacks-"

"-of my death at his hand, you bet your ass! That wasn't the worst of it. Oh, not by a long shot. See, after my body finally began responding, I took aim and was about to pull the trigger, when that pasty-faced creep opened his mouth and sneered at the Replacement. 'Tell me what hurt more, one or two.'"

The words were a muffled snarl, and Dick saw the rage, the volcanic fury nearly erupt, though his younger brother's eyes were hidden.

"I lost control after that. Lost consciousness too, according to the replacement. All I remember is opening fire on everything, then blacking out. Apparently I not only used up all of my ammo and hit nothing, I also wrestled the clown to the ground and beat him half dead. Would have beaten him all the way dead if my body hadn't collapsed onto the replacement."

He calmed down for a minute, his body beginning to shake again.

"After I woke, I couldn't seem to get that _sound_ out of my head. It was there, haunting me. Then it was joined by his laughter. I got up and paced my room, but it wouldn't leave. Images followed, then nothing. So I went on patrol."

Dick choked back a chortle, his brother scowling at him. "What's so damn funny, Grayson?"

"I'm sorry, Jay, but picturing the looks on your poor victim's faces as a pissed off Red Hood stares them down is hilarious."

"Yeah well pay attention. In the middle of my patrol, I blacked out. I was then treated to the flashback from hell."

"What day was that?"

"Three days ago."

Dick shuddered. He hated to ask his successor to elaborate, but he had to in order to conferm what he himself had woken to that night.

"Not your death this time." He stated, leaving space for elaboration.

"Something worse. Something that left me trembling. I hate trembling. It makes me look weak."

"Before your death."

Jason's eyebrow went up.

"How the hell-? Never mind. Anyway, those stupid images, sounds...even feelings, sensations, they kept interrupting my patrols. My dreams were worse. I gave up sleeping after day two. They grew so vivid each time...I swore some sick bastard had shoved me in a time machine and forced me to relive my death over sixty times."

"You couldn't take anymore, but you wouldn't go to Bruce." Dick prompted.

"I'd like to stay _out _of Arkham thank you very much." Jason sneered with obvious distaste for his mentor.

He paused. "I had to find you. The replacement still teeters on death's door, my hesitation and damn body freezing up had almost cost another Robin his life. As I said before, the mentor was closer but his help would have been unappreciated and unhelpful. Besides, this was a Robin problem. Best to go to the original."

Dick smiled and wrapped his brother in a hug. Jason stiffened but did not pull away.

"I'm always here for you, bro. Birds of a feather and all that."

"Don't ruin this with your sappy shit Grayson." Jason growled in a muffled voice. "Just don't."

The older bird chuckled, then said softly "Would you forgive me the sap if I chewed out Bruce while you listened?"

Jason's mouth curled in a snarky, almost predatory grin.

"I just might."

Dick made a dramatic display of picking up his cell and dialing the number.


	3. Chapter 3

The phone rang, and Bruce groaned as he picked it up, speaking with a slightly annoyed tone that hinted that his workload did not need an increase right now. "Wayne." He greeted woodenly.

"What the _HELL, _Bruce?!" The voice of his eldest exploded in his ear.

"Explain." He said nonchalantly. Dick rarely threw fits, if at all, and the man was curious as to what had set the boy off.

"No! _YOU _explain! Why the hell wasn't I told about Tim?!"

Ah, this made sense. Dick was fiercely protective of the young Robin, even going so far as to nearly killing several villains for hurting the boy. Two-Face and the Joker were often faced with Nightwing's wrath after particular patrols, and the older bird even stepped into Arkham to mess with the tormentors on occasion. He would never actually kill them of course, but a vengeful Nightwing was never pleasant.

"Do you have _ANY_ idea how frustrating it is to be told by _Hood_ that yet _another _Robin was beaten by the Joker?! That he's teetering?! Why. The hell. Wasn't I told by _you_ personally?"

Bruce felt terrible "Dick I-"

"You what, Bruce?! You thought that I wouldn't come running from here all the way to the mansion?!"

"Well honestly, no." came the sheepish response. "I didn't think you would. I know Nightwing's busy with a case there, and you do hate it when I interrupt so-"

"This is _Tim, _Bruce!" His son's voice had evidences of the famous Growl in it, "I would go to the farthest reaches of friggin' _SPACE _ if he needed me. "

"It's under control." He tried to be reassuring. "I didn't want you worrying. He's going to be fine."

"He's my little brother!" Another explosion "I should've been there the moment he was brought in!"

Bruce was silent then. He knew that the young man he called his son was close to tears. Dick treated the young Robin like the little brother he never had. When the boy needed him, he would drop everything and come to his aid. Dick's anger now was partly because of Bruce, but partly aimed at himself as well.

"As soon as he was brought in, Bruce."

"Dick I-"

"No. I am coming home. Tim needs me too much for me to delay."

Bruce heard the click of the other line, then sighed.

"Alfred...Prepare Dick's room would you?"


End file.
